Deal Seeking Mom

LED, the Future of Light Bulbs + Win a $50 The Home Depot GC!

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I’m sure you’ve all heard that one of the ways you can reduce your energy bill is by replacing your incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs, but if you’re like me, you’re probably also worried about the possible risks associated with doing so. CFL bulbs contain mercury, a neurotoxin that can cause kidney and brain damage, turning a minor mess of broken glass into a HazMat situation.

Because of this, we’ve been very hesitant to use CFL bulbs in our household, so I was very intrigued when The Home Depot contacted me about their new line of LED light bulbs. LED bulbs actually supply just as much light as traditional incandescent bulbs but use far less electricity — a whopping 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and up to 50 percent less energy than CFL bulbs.

I was also amazed to learn that LED bulbs an extremely long life expectancy that, 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs! Each bulb can last up to 100,000 hours or 11.42 years! I know we have several fixtures that are a real hassle to change, so my husband would be thrilled if he only had to do so every ten years or so.

More interesting LED facts:

  • Replacing incandescent bulbs with energy-saving lighting options, such as LED lights, is a simple way to reduce your energy bills.
  • Replacing standard light bulbs with energy efficient LED bulbs will bring you immediate savings on your electricity bill.
  • In fact, innovative LED technology uses up to 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, without sacrificing lighting quality.
  • LED bulbs supply just as much light as your old bulbs but use far less electricity. In fact, the innovative technology uses up to 85 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, and up to 50 percent less energy than CFL bulbs.
  • LED bulbs also have an exceptionally long life expectancy that is 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Each bulb can last up to 100,000 hours, or 11.42 years.

Sounds great, huh? So you’re probably wondering what’s the catch. The bad news is this great new technology comes with a price tag that’s significantly higher than we’re used to paying for incandescent bulbs. Expect to pay about $17.97 for an LED bulb that’s a 40W equivalent.

However, the good news is that the price is rapidly coming down. In fact, just two years ago, a 60-watt equivalent cost $90 and a 100-watt dimmable bulb went for $360. Wow!

New legislation is requiring that most incandescent bulb production be discontinued by 2014, so it’s definitely important to start looking at other options. While the initial investment may seem steep, it’s important to consider the savings in energy coupled with the longevity of LED bulbs.

Next week I’ll take you shopping with me at my local Home Depot to purchase LED lighting for several fixtures in our house. But in the meantime, you can win a $50 gift card to The Home Depot!

To enter: Just check out the LED lighting page on HomeDepot.com and tell me one cool fact you learned about LED bulbs. Would you purchase LED light bulbs? Have you already started using LED light bulbs in your household?

This giveaway will close at 2:00pm EST on 1/13/11.

The Home Depot works with bloggers such as myself to conduct product reviews. They do not tell bloggers what to say about their products or how to say it. THD fundamentally believes that people should be free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. The Home Depot often provides product – free of charge – to bloggers for review as they did for this post. The Home Depot’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Isabel Acosta

    I like that they are mercury free…we just bought a bunch of LED lights for next Christmas when they went on clearance.

  2. mandy

    Lasts up to 20 years longer than standard bulbs and contains NO toxic material!! I’ll be making the switch from CFL to LCD!

  3. M

    We been using LED for more then 2 years now with our 12v fixtures which are supported by a few home made solar panel. Yes, they do save energy. Big downsize, the light diminish over time, needing replacement. Perhaps over time the quality will improve.

  4. Denise Scott

    They are shatter resistant AND eco-friendly. I also learned there are no energy conserving rebates in our area :( – Yes I would purchase LED lights, and we have already started using them..
    Thank you,
    Denise

  6. PS

    I am always concerned about the amount of heat put off by light bulbs (like my undercabinet lights). According the the HD site, the LEDs put off little heat!

  7. Elizabeth

    I didn’t know CFLs DID contain mercury, but glad to learn LEDs do not. We have just finished replacing most of our incandescents with CFLs and may not be willing to try LEDs until some rebates or other incentives emerge in our area.

  8. Mrs. Schmid

    LEDs produce minimal heat and there is no filament to burn out. We would definitely try them, though we don’t have any in fixtures at our house currently.

  9. valorie

    they come in many different shapes and sizes, i currently do not use them but might try them if it were a good deal

  12. Lacey C.

    I didn’t realize they were so energy efficient! The price is a little steep to replace all of our lightbulbs at once, but I’d be willing to start replacing them one by one as the old ones burn out.

  13. Jackie E

    I haven’t tried these yet but definitely will check into buying them. I like that they don’t give off as much heat and contain no mercury or other toxic material. Using less energy is always a positive for me.

  14. Ginger

    I like that they produce less heat. We have purchased one for a flashlight. As a test, my husband has left the flashlight on 24 hours a day for over a month now, and it is still as bright as ever. It might solve our “children left the battery on again, and we don’t have one that works”. Nice.

  15. Cami

    I learned that they don’t put out as much heat as other bulbs. If I can get a good deal I would definitely be willing to try them out.

  17. Jackie E

    I haven’t tried these yet, but definitely will. I like that they don’t give off as much heat and don’t contain mercury or other toxic materials. The fact that they consume less energy is always a plus.

  21. Leah

    The fact that the LED bulbs would last from newborn to college years is very impressive! (for the environment AND for those of use who think changing a light bulb is an annoying task.)

  22. Susan

    We are in the process of building an off grid cabin so in order to minimize our power consumption I definitely will be looking to purchase some of these. Also, as a parent of an autistic child, it was great to learn that the new led bulbs do not contain mercury and I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to learn that the cfls do.

  24. Lisa

    I like the fact that they do not put out much heat – much safer around children! We actually purchased a reading floor lamp from Ikea about a year ago and it uses LED bulbs! It works great! We had moved to CFL’s several years ago and that had a huge impact on our electric bill! It would be nice to start moving to LED!

  26. Erin

    I didn’t realize they were more efficient than CFL bulbs. We switched out Christmas lights to LED this past year.

  29. Karyn

    No heat! We have a few heavily used desk lamps that I have to be careful which bulbs I buy so I don’t burn through the lamp shade. Definitely getting one for the kiddos room.

  30. Kerri Stewart

    I did not know that LEDs produce minimal heat and there is no filament to burn out, as with incandescent bulbs, plus no mercury like CFLs (that I did not know either & I use CFLs). I will purchase more LEDs. I bought some Christmas LED bulbs a couple of years ago.